


Second Home By the Sea

by JessKo



Category: Local Hero (1983)
Genre: Adoption, Domestic Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24630301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo
Summary: Returning to the Macaskill Arms for more than just a room for the night, Mac learns just whose baby it is, and he does not like the answer he receives.
Relationships: "Mac" MacIntyre/Gordon Urquhart/Stella Urquhart
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Second Home By the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HixyStix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HixyStix/gifts).



> HixyStix has my INFINITE thanks for introducing me to this gem of a film <3

Mac quickly realized upon his return to Houston that things were never going to be the same. He certainly loved his Porsche, but it didn’t bring him the joy it once did. His job, well, that had not been a source of happiness for quite some time and even after a promotion Mac still felt like something was missing. There was a part of his life that he’d not even been aware he’d been missing, that is until his trip to Scotland. 

It was supposed to be pure business, and it nearly had stayed that way. But then there had been a party. There was music and dancing and drinks, a few too many drinks really, and the next thing he knew he’d hand Stella’s hand in his right and Gordon’s in his left and his eyes turned up to the stars. 

Now, his hands felt perpetually empty, and the light pollution of the city made the night sky look more like grey sludge. 

Without even realizing what he was doing, one day Mac woke up before even his alarm and started to pack his things. Warm sweaters, hiking shoes, important documents and a hefty wad of cash that he kept for emergencies. When he got into his car, he got on the highway and drove right past the exit for his job to the airport. The next thing he knew, his wad of cash was a bit less hefty and he was seated on a direct flight to Fraserburgh. 

Upon arrival, he hired a driver for a one way trip to Ferness and found himself at the front door of the Macaskill Arms. Before knocking, he stopped himself. What the hell was he thinking? Just showing up uninvited, what if there weren’t any rooms available? Or who was to say they even wanted to see him again after everything that had happened with the purchase of the town falling through and all. Mac began to turn around, and as the wheels of the hired car began to crunch on gravel as it drove away, his second thoughts got the best of him and he began to run after the car. 

“Wait! I need to go back!” Mac shouted, but it was no use, the driver too far away already. He was truly stuck now. 

“Hello!” called a voice Mac wanted so badly to recognize, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Turning around, no one was there. “We’re up here!” the voice called again, and Mac craned his neck up to find two familiar faces looking down from a second story window. 

“Why were you running after that car?” Stella asked with a knowing grin. “I think you are right where you want to be.” 

As two smiling faces beamed down on him, and a motorbike sped past running him off the road and closer to the Inn, Mac realized that yeah, he was in exactly the right place. 

“As you can see, we are at the peak of tourist season here so I’m afraid you’ll just have to bunk with us,” Gordon explained after he came downstairs, gesturing to the two parking spaces currently occupied in front of the building. “If you’d like that, that is.” 

“Yeah, I think I can do that, would like that, I mean,” Mac replied, stumbling over his words as his face turned a bright red. 

Gordon laughed, the sound music to his ears, but then something else grabbed his attention. Across the way, where some of the townspeople were showing a visitor how they repaired their lobster nets, a baby was crying. “So, is anyone ever going to tell me whose baby that is?” 

“Ah, that’s little Dennis. He’s everyones.” Gordon replied as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 

“What is that supposed to mean? Who does he go home with?” Mac pressed. 

Gordon shrugged. “Well, it's a Thursday so I believe that means… Hmm, Stella!” Turning around, Gordon shouted at an open window. “Stella! What does Thursday mean again?” 

Stella stuck her head out to reply, “Thursday, hm… Maybe Maria knows, you can ask her at the shop.” 

“Whoa, whoa, you’re telling me that you don’t even know where he’s going to sleep? Is this a joke?” Mac asked, shocked. 

“No, Mac. We really don’t know how he got here, so we all take turns watching over him.” Stella confirmed. 

Acting once again on impulse, Mac started to cross the street. “Well guess what? He’s just been adopted.” After curtly greeting the fishermen, Mac grabbed hold of the handles of the stroller and wheeled it right into the lobby of the Inn. 

“He’s actually serious about this, huh?” Gordon asked his wife.

Stella chuckled, “Do you want to be the auntie or the uncle?” 

“With the way things are going, more likely father.” 

* * *

At first, Gordon has not been pleased to move his office downstairs, but after a few nights of having Dennis in the bedroom with them, he yielded and allowed the space to be converted into a proper nursery. The walls were painted a pale blue, and the ceiling a darker grey speckled with yellow stars forming constellations in a pretend sky. 

As Mac dotted the final speck to form Orion’s belt, Gordon clapped his hands, nearly making the man fall off the chair he stood on. “Well done! Looks just like the real thing.” 

“Ah thanks, now help me down before I break my neck on account of your noise.” Mac retorted, tossing the paintbrush down into a bucket of water. 

“My pleasure.” Gordon said and he wrapped two hands around Mac’s waist, he helped him down and then pulled him into a hug that would not be released until his kisses were returned with gusto. “Now why didn’t you tell us you were an artist sooner? Could have had you repaint the whole Inn to look like a sunset.” 

Again, Mac blushed. “Don’t get your hopes up, I’m just copying the books.” He nodded towards a book of night sky photography laid out on the floor. 

“If I did it, it would look like a chimpanzee threw paint on the roof, and probably the floor too, and a little on the walls over there…” Gordon joked, pointing around exaggeratedly. “Might as well let Dennis do it at that point.” 

“Ah, I don’t think he could reach.” Sella chimed in from the doorway, humored by the events unfolding before her. “Now then, just have to finish it, or is that supposed to be a black hole?” She asked, pointing to a large plain section of the ceiling. 

“Oh, no, I ran out of paint is all. I’ll run down to the store for some more.” On his way out, Mac received a pack on the cheek from Stella in the doorway and a rain jacket thrown at his back before he could leave. Apparently it was a bit wet out, he hadn't even noticed. With Mac gone, Stella and Gordon knew perfectly well how to entertain themselves without their artist present, putting on one of their favorite records and dancing in the dining room as the lunch rush was long gone, if one could even call three patrons a rush. 

At the store, Mac was able to locate what he was looking for, but the shopkeeper Maria could hardly be found. Leaning over the front counter, however, Mac could certainly hear her. She was speaking to someone in a language he didn’t recognize aside from one word which was repeated quite a few times, Victor. And judging from the tone of her voice, this call was about something more personal than fishing. Mac couldn’t help but to be glad for them and milled about the store for a few minutes until she appeared from the back room. 

“With all this paint you are buying, I’d think you were repainting the whole Inn,” she joked as she rang up the purchase. 

“You know, Gordon is trying to convince me to do that. Said I should make it look like a sunset, can you believe that?” 

Maria thought it over for a second. “It would make the Inn stand out, could be a nice change.” 

“Oh, not you too! Good day, Maria!” Mac turned towards the door, and Maria laughed him out. 

“Good day, Mac.” 

* * *

It would take six years, but eventually Gordon would convince Mac to use the Inn as his canvas, the old white paint beginning to peel away in the salty sea air. “Look, you are going to have to help paint it regardless, so might as well make it look good,” Gordon finally argued, flicking some of the thick white coating off the side of the structure. 

“Fine, fine! I’ll do your sunset. But you better cook an entire ham to thank me for what I’m going to go through.” 

“A ham? I can do that. Put some roast potatoes with it, make it a big to-do. I can play for you while you eat too.” Gordon added with a wink, then turned towards where Stella was playing with Dennis on the shore. “You hear that love? Mac’s gonna paint the inn!” 

“Oh! Wonderful!” she called back with a thumb’s up. 

“Actually, I don’t want you to play. I want Dennis to play. I hear his lessons are going well. Literally. I can hear them everywhere I go in town.” Mac responded slyly. 

“Ah, well, he’s just learning the basics so no sweet music yet, but we’ll see if I can’t get him going on a little shanty by the time you finish. How long do you think I’ll have, three years?” 

Mac groaned, looking at the huge mass of the wall before him. “Yeah, sounds about right.” 

So, as Mac painted the days away to the sometimes grating and sometimes adorable sounds of Mac teaching Dennis, the promise was kept and on the day Mac finally finished he was serenaded by his adopted son who was then showered in praise and sweets. And of course, Mac had his ham and potatoes. 

“Daddy, can we go outside tonight?” Dennis asked after licking the last bits of cake off his plate. 

Mac turned to check the time and make sure it wasn’t too late, but before he could, Gordon replied, “Of course we can!” So the group migrated down to the beach, laying down in the sand to enjoy the night sky. Laying there, Mac realized yet again that this is exactly where he wanted to be, Stella’s hand in his right and Gordon’s in his left and Dennis curled up against his side, already dozing off peacefully to the sounds of the waves. Yes, nothing could be better than this, and he was eternally grateful to have been able to find his place in the world. 


End file.
